NFL releases schedule; Patriots open at Miami

Wednesday

Apr 23, 2014 at 9:32 PMApr 23, 2014 at 9:37 PM

By Tim Whelan Jr.Daily News staff

We knew the opponents, but when? What time? Will hand warmers be necessary if one were to take the pilgrimage to Lambeau Field in Green Bay?The answer to the latter question is yes, and the specifics of all schedule curiosities were cleared up Wednesday night as the NFL released its schedule for the 2014 season.For the fourth straight season, the Patriots will open up on the road, as they visit the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7 (1 p.m.). The Patriots also visited the Dolphins in a Week 1 Monday night game in 2011.That kicks off a stretch of three road games in the first four weeks, with a visit to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 followed by the home opener, a Sept. 21 visit from the Oakland Raiders.The last time Oakland was in Foxboro was 2005, when Randy Moss was still wearing the silver-and-black.The first of five primetime games for the Patriots comes in Week 4, a Monday night visit to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 29. They follow up their first visit to Arrowhead Stadium since 2005 with a Sunday night home game against the Bengals, followed by a visit to the Bills.Just like last year after they opened the season at Buffalo, the Patriots follow that up with a Thursday night home date with the rival Jets, this on Oct. 16, as Darrelle Revis, health permitting, will be playing his first game against his former team in a Patriots' uniform.That starts a three-game home stand for New England, as a 1:00 game against the Bears precedes perhaps the season's most anticipated matchup, an AFC Championship Game rematch with the Broncos, who also proved to be a worthy offseason adversary.That anticipated game with the Broncos, now with former Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib across the ball, will be on Nov. 2 (Week 11, 4:25 p.m.) at Gillette Stadium. If future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are still slinging by that date, it will be the 16th matchup between their respective teams.Just like in 2013, the Patriots get their bye in Week 10, this time after the matchup with the Broncos. Last season, the Patriots lost at Carolina in the first game following the week off. This time around, in Week 11, the Patriots square off with the Colts, a team they dispatched 43-22 in last year's AFC divisional round. This time, the Patriots will visit Indy on Sunday night, Nov. 16.After hosting the talented-yet-underachieving Detroit Lions on Nov. 23, New England then travels to Green Bay in what could be the Patriots' first-ever matchup against Aaron Rodgers, who is entering his seventh year as the green-and-gold starting quarterback.In Week 14, the Patriots play their final scheduled primetime contest with a Dec. 7 trip to San Diego to play a Chargers squad that reached the AFC divisional round last season.That will cap a six-game stretch in which the Patriots play four playoff teams, with very competitive also-rans Chicago and Detroit as the other opponents.After a Dec. 14 home game against the Dolphins comes another cornerback comeback. Similar to Talib's trip back to 1 Patriot Place, on Dec. 21, Revis is scheduled to return to MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands for the first time as a Patriot to face his former team, the Jets. He returned as a Buccaneer in 2013.And for the third time in four years, the Patriots will close out the regular season at home against the Buffalo Bills, this time on Dec. 28.It will be the first time since 1987 that the Patriots close out the season with three division opponents.In 2011, the Patriots similarly opened on the road against the Dolphins and closed the regular season at Gillette Stadium against the Bills. That team was AFC champions.The expectations for the 2014 team won't be much different. Besides the schedule, what else is new?Tim Whelan Jr. can be reached at 508-626-4402 or twhelan@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @thattimwhelan.